The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-30
WHO AT BUeNA VISTA.
A Small Place in Size. hut Great In
History.
IsnecIal Corresp0ndence

bstween the little woman and myself. l
want 20 take horses for the remainder OF
our trip until we reach railroads again,
where this one has 20 leave of. but she
feels sure that we would De waylaid by
Indians, scalped, tortured and massacred,
and she 81 in favor Of the diligence. and |
always get headache when riding in
one How il will end don't know yet,
but she usually has her way. We may
possibly get private conveyance,
with driver outriders and all. for they do
that sort Of thing here very much. IL is
customary. too, and | find she is begin
ming 10 realize that you must follow the
law here
We made an excursion out 10 the battle
ground that made this sleepy little spot
celebrated. and found nothing that could
recall the bloody scenes which must have
passed here The whole face Of nature is
as placid and smooth as If cannon balls
had not plowed mp the soil. The town
what there is OF III is laid out regularly
with low adobe huts. almost all OF them
presenting a perfectly solid wall TO the
street. many Of them having no opening
whatever except doors 10 the rooms which
open of the little porches The place we
are now stopping az is kept by a French
man, but il Is very much worse than any
other place we have seen, with the oXcep-
ton that they cook in French fashion,
which is rather n pleasant change.
Here we made a critical examination Of
the maguey plant, which is as useful as
the Arabs camel, as il supplies food,
drink, needles and 'hread and fiber for
ropes and coarse bags. II resembles what
we call the century plant. and the little
woman got a good smell at the flowers
and declared unhesitat.ngy that she knew
il must De the same, for the flowers smelt
certa.niya century old, and with linger-
ing look of admiration for their beauty,
and a look of disgust at the ancient odor,
She threw them away. The McXicans
make "a very pleasant preserve ont of the
thich part of the plant, and drink called
puQue from the stem, which they pierce
and insert a tube in. The juice will
flow by the aid Of Mexican on
the other end Of the tube As soon
as he has got good mouthiul
he splits il into bottle held for the pur-
pose and keeps on until be has absorbed
all the sap This then is placed in large
tubs with more gathered i'm the same way
and left 10 ferment, when 10 is fit for
drink II is said 10 be pungent, like acrd
buttermilk or vinegar. but neither the dis
gusted little American nor myself seemed
10 banker after IT, The needle and thread
is made by taking the thOrns and strip
ping them up when a strong piece Of fiber
remains attached 10 the thorn. and it af-
fords means of sewing all ordinary ma
tcrial The fiber OF the plant after the
pulp has been dried ont or absorbed, is
Ised Ike flax, and is very strong and ileN-
ible The whole country above a certain
belt is covered by this plaut and mesquite
There IL another plant which is very yalu-
able 10 the natives of this country, ami
this grows ON the low plains and the table
lands. and is called yulgariy soap root.
The root is dubious and in layers like an
onion IL is white and about six inches
long and has a white flower upon long
stalk, with only one or two spike shaped
leaves at the bottom This root is
gathered and used like ordinary soap,
making fine latner and washing clothes
beautifully white The Mexican women
sit fat ON the ground beside their tubs 20
wash their linen. and use only cold
water, never boiling DO The little
woman Is quite adrift about this. for her
eyes prove that these women wash their
clothes az white as the texture can Doe
made, and yet She always was broughtup
90 believe that 20 make them white re-
Qulred the regulation soaking. two
warm sud,e,. a boiling and then another
sldsng and rinsing and blueing And
these women have mo- Wa-hbOards either,
doing ali their washing between The
hands
The little woman asked me % insert
here that the McXisn women are the
most industrious people she ever saw, for
they We're always working at their in
terminable needle work, their washing or
ironing on making tortilla-. II /, only
because they sic down TO their work that
makes them appear idle, and she waits 10
add that she thinks them very gentle and
consider1te and hospitable 10 strangers.
While I'M this place / met gentleman
who showed me some uatiYe coffee. which
was grown just over on the other side of
the mountains, in p tract of land well
watered and among groves OF bananas.
The berries were of several sizes and APP
pcarances, which, he said. were All of one
tree, or bush, the small round ones from
the tips Of the branches and the larger
cOarser ones from nearest the main body
OF the tree lie had specimens IN an
stages of ripene-S and preparation for the
market and asserted, doubles, with
truth that Mexico could supply this
whole country with excellent coffee =
there was any spirit Of enterprise among
the people They grow cotton also, though
the fiber is not SO delicate and long az our
own. and sugar cane l. one Of the natural
products Of the country. though it is
cheaper TO buy imported sugar than to
make their own which they have not yet
learned how 90 refine
At this iuuctWe the little woman came
flying in. looking wonderfully pretty in
her excitement which fact ! hope Will
excuse my weakness Of Will TO say
"Oh. Edward do come out and hold
this beautiful little burS until j sketch
him / have him tied 10 a post hut every
time ! 90 near he puts his ears back and
stands on his front feet and kicks the
others 50 fast that AN afraid OF them. j
can't get within six yards of him, and he
looks so mischieyou- The owner is fast